Forget the Grill: 12 Tailgating Foods That Are Great at Room Temp

I was recently tasked with preparing food for an outdoor tailgate, but was faced with a major dilemma: The space had no grill, no outlets for plugged-in appliances, and obviously no refrigerator. So, everything I made would have to meet two requirements: It had to be prepared ahead of time and needed to be delicious without being reheated.

I scoured Pinterest for inspiration, but everything that came up required a slow cooker, grill, or stove. If you're like me and all you're working with is your imagination and a cooler, we've got you covered:

Eating healthy should still be delicious.

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Rotisserie chicken makes preparation a breeze, but feel free to use any leftover cooked chicken you have on hand. Keep it in your cooler and serve over a bed of greens or with a side of multigrain crackers for a satisfying meal.

Crunchy roasted chickpeas are a cinch to make and take only about 40 minutes from start to finish. They make for a satisfying salty snack that’s high in protein and fiber. To ensure the crunchiest texture, pat the chickpeas dry before tossing with oil. You can play around with other spices for different flavor combinations—try smoked paprika and cumin, Madras curry powder, or even cinnamon and powdered sugar. Store your chickpeas in Tupperware to keep 'em crunchy.

Simpler and tastier than many old-fashioned potato salads, this version features a fresh lemon-and-oil-based dressing instead of a mayo-laden dressing. The anchovy paste lends a deep umami hit that’s not fishy, just savory.

The classic Cobb salad is transformed brilliantly here, thanks to a dressing-inspired sauce of tangy yogurt, canola mayo, and buttermilk—bake your pizza the morning of the game and store in Tupperware until ready to serve. If you don't like cold or room-temperature pizza, are you even human?

We set about creating a supremely crunchy, irresistible granola that feels almost more like party mix than granola but still contains all those great whole grains. Here’s the result: a lightly sweetened crunchfest with a nice hit of spicy heat. The granola stores well at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week.

Our healthier version of traditional party snack mix gives you all the salt, crunch, and bold spices of the original with the addition of whole-grain popcorn, toasty whole-wheat cereal, and spicy wasabi peas. The peas inspired an Asian track with toasty sesame oil and reduced-sodium soy sauce, cashews, and pungent ground ginger.

Cutting the cabbage coarsely gives the dish a different look from shredded-cabbage slaws. A full teaspoon of black pepper lends pleasant warm heat without overpowering. Make the dish up to one day ahead if you like—the veggies will stay crisp and the flavors will meld as the slaw chills.